Luke 5:20

20 And when he saw their faith, he said to him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

Luke 5:20 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 5:20

And when he saw their faith
That is, Jesus, as the Syriac and Persic versions express it; when he saw the faith both of the paralytic man, and of the men that brought him, which was shown in the pains they took, and trouble they were at, in getting him to him;

he said unto him.
The Vulgate Latin only reads, "he said"; but the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions, still more fully express the sense, rendering it, "he said to the paralytic man"; and the Ethiopic version, "he said to the infirm man"; as follows:

man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
The other evangelists say, he said "son"; perhaps he used both words: however, all agree that he pronounced the forgiveness of sins, which were the cause of his disease; and which being removed, the effect must cease; so that he had healing both for soul and body; (See Gill on Matthew 9:2).

Luke 5:20 In-Context

18 And behold, men brought in a bed a man who was taken with the palsy: and they sought [means] to bring him in, and to lay [him] before him.

19 And when they could not find by what [way] they might bring him in, because of the multitude, they went upon the house-top, and let him down through the tiling with [his] couch, into the midst before Jesus.

20 And when he saw their faith, he said to him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this who speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?

22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering, said to them, What reason ye in your hearts?